December 10, 2024
AJ Dybantsa puts on a BYU hat
Top college basketball prospect AJ Dybantsa on Tuesday announced his commitment to BYU, and it’s believed the Cougars paid big money to keep the forward in Utah.
Dybantsa is the No. 1 prospect for 2025 and also expected by many to become the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He goes to Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah, and BYU worked hard to pull him in as a recruit. According to Adam Zagoria of Zags Blog, Dybantsa got close to $7 million in his Name, Image and Likeness deal from BYU. A previous report had said BYU was willing to go into the $4 million range to land him.
Dybantsa chose BYU over Alabama, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina, though he really had his choice of any school in the country.
A previous report said that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Jazz executive Danny Ainge are trying to rebuild BYU basketball, so throwing big money at Dybantsa to keep him home was part of a big plan. Not only will landing Dybantsa help the image and performance of BYU, but it will also make the top player an even bigger name in Utah. That could prove valuable if the Jazz somehow land the top pick in the 2026 draft, which seems to be a possibility.
Dybantsa averaged 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season at Prolific Prep in Napa. He began his high school career at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass.